Hank Mobley - The Best Of Hank Mobley: The Blue Note Years (1996) FLAC
Genre: Hard Bop, Piano Jazz | Label: Blue Note Records
Part of Blue Note's quality series of artist samplers, The Best of
Hank Mobley surveys the great tenor saxophonist's prime stretch from 1955-1965. Originally overshadowed by the likes of Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, and, of course, Coltrane,
Mobley nevertheless gained the respect of his peers, t
hanks to his richly fluid phrasing and smooth, caramel tone -- in lieu of trying to impress you, he seduced you slowly from afar. And while one is advised to dive in directly with any one of his Blue Note discs -- especially Soul Station, No Room for Squares, and A Slice of the Top -- this ten-track overview still works well as a launching pad. Backed by a stellar array of "Blue Note" regulars like Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Billy Higgins,
Freddie Hubbard, and Horace Silver,
Mobley ranges effortlessly from early hard bop favorites ("Funk in a Deep Freeze") to mature, solo-rich material from the mid-'60s ("The Turnaround"). In between, there are two stunning originals from his banner year of 1960 ("This I Dig of You," "Take Your Pick") and one of the best of his several bossa nova numbers ("Recado Bossa Nova"). For listeners who just want a taste, this best-of collection will do the trick just fine.